Ipswich Town look to bring Philip Otele into the Premier League ahead of next season

ENGLISH Premier League side Ipswich Town have joined the ranks of teams looking to sign Super Eagles winger Philip Otele before the current summer transfer window closes ahead of the forthcoming 2026/27 season.

Otele, 27, is currently playing for Swiss side Basel who have made it clear that they are prepared to sell the versatile forward if they get an offer of at least €5m. Several English Championship sides have enquired about Otele over the summer, including Birmingham City and Derby County, as well as Italian sides Leece, Genoa and Frosinone and Saudi Arabian club Al Fateh.

After impressing for Nigeria during the Unity Cup in June this year when he registered his first assist during the 3-0 Unity Cup victory over Jamaica before featuring in friendlies against Poland and Portugal, Otele's stock has risen. He is now likely to leave Basel permanently this summer, after spending the second half of last season on loan at Hamburg.

Apart from newly-promoted  Ipswich, other European teams that have expressed an interest in Otele lately include Union Berlin and Marseille. Basel have placed an asking price of €5m on Otele, but apparently would be willing to accept an offer of around €4m.

Two other French clubs, Toulouse and Lorient, have also made enquiries about Otele but the attacker's wage demands are a stumbling block to any potential deal. Union Berlin on the other hand have placed Otele on their radar in case Ilyas Ansah leaves the club.

Amid the speculation surrounding his future, Otele was left out of Basel's starting line-up for their latest Swiss Super League clash against FC Thun on Sunday.  A very flexible player, Otele's versatility has made him an attractive option for several clubs.

Although naturally a left winger, he can also play on the right or operate as a centre-forward, giving coaches several attacking options. Otele started with Teesside University and non-league side Wolviston FC in England before earning his first professional contract with Kauno Žalgiris in Lithuania in 2019.

He later impressed in Romania with Uta Arad before enjoying a breakthrough campaign at CFR Cluj, where he scored 18 league goals during the 2023-24 season to finish as the Liga I joint top scorer. His performances earned moves to Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates and then FC Basel, where he rediscovered his best form by scoring nine goals in his first 18 matches and helping the Swiss club win the league title.

In February 2026, Otele joined Hamburger on loan, scoring once in nine appearances, becoming the first Nigerian to score a Bundesliga goal for the German club. However, Hamburg chose not to trigger their €4.5m purchase option, sending Otele back to Basel at the end of the campaign.